After settling early on, Fairfield managed to dictate the tempo and grab enough momentum down the stretch to close out a Gaels team who had beaten the Stags twice during the regular season. As both teams began to trade baskets, it was Jalen Leach who took matters into his own hands. Leach delivered a virtuoso second-half performance and adjusted to the style of the game after Iona managed to force Fairfield to operate on the perimeter for most of the first half.
“My teammates did a good job of pushing me and telling me to be aggressive, and that’s what I did,” Leach said.
After Iona took a 40-38 lead on a layup from Joel Brown, Jasper Floyd’s mid-range jumper tied the game, and Leach then hit three free throws after getting fouled on a three-point attempt to regain the lead for the Stags.
Fairfield continued to push the pace, led by Leach, whose layup in transition on a sharp feed from Caleb Fields put the Stags back on top with 5:31 left. Iona simply had no answers for Leach once he gained a full head of steam. He finished with 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting to lead all scorers, and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
Even though Leach just as easily could have been named MAAC Player of the Year, an award which ultimately went to an equally deserving Matt Balanc of Quinnipiac, Leach was singularly focused on the team result, expressing particular disappointment in how the first two meetings with Iona went down.
“We took it very personally,” Leach said of the Stags’ collective focus to redeem themselves in the series against Iona. “But we know during tournament time, the record doesn’t matter, it’s just whoever plays hardest, and that’s what we did tonight.”
The last five minutes was personal for Caleb Fields, too. This is Fields’ final rodeo as a college player, and he did everything he could down the stretch to keep the train rolling on Fairfield’s season. Fields mustered back-to-back baskets inside to stretch the Stags’ lead to 64-59 with 1:33 remaining in regulation. He helped ice the game from the free throw line in the final minute to finish with 20 points on 6-of-13 shooting and 6-for-8 from the free throw line.
Fairfield did a good job frustrating Iona’s offense early on and forcing turnovers. Unfortunately, most of the six turnovers Fairfield forced in the second half came off live ball turnovers. Iona ultimately finished with 12 turnovers, and the Stags started to take over by turning good defense — which included 11 steals — into good offense.
“That’s what they’re known for,” Fields said of Iona’s defense, which forced 10 turnovers and is low for its lofty standard. “But we do the same thing and Coach Casey does a great job preparing us.”
Outside of the Marist letdown nearly two weeks ago, late-game situations haven’t flustered a Fairfield team who has now won six of their last seven games and may be hitting its stride at the right time. The Stags came to Atlantic City with a singular dream that could soon turn into a reality if they keep things rolling.
One game down, two to go.
“There was no desperation,” Casey said. “It was more so, ‘let’s make a few more plays.’ This is what tournament basketball is all about. Your best guys have to make plays, and I thought they did that tonight.”
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